After Finnick and I had walked in the general direction that Isabelle had pointed, I found a shiny, black, six-horse trailer, with four horses tethered to tie rings that were on the side. When I saw the metallic cremello coat of Duchess, my heart soared and a grin broke out across my face. I had found her! Jogging over to the trailer, Finnick followed me more slowly, glancing around like we shouldn't be here for some reason. As if anything we did would be more wrong than stealing my horse.

"Duchess! I was unable to stop myself from crying out her name as I reached her. She gave a soft nicker, snuffling as she nosed my pockets. "Oh, silly girl. You'll get treats after the show! For now, let's get you back while no one's here."

I said it too soon.

"What are you doing?" I heard a voice from behind me. I turned to see a tall girl with caramel-toned skin, short, wavy black hair with caramel-colored highlights, and dark brown eyes.

"I'm getting my horse, thank you very much!" I snapped, and the girl looked slightly taken aback.

"Your horse?" she asked, matching my tone.

"Yes, my horse! She was gone from my trailer, and someone from my stables said she saw you leading her off! You stole her, and I'm taking her back!" My temper flared, and my voice rose as I spoke.

The girl just gave me a confused look. "I didn't steal her! I found her wandering around amongst the trailers, and she was bothering some of the other horses, so I caught her and brought her back here since I didn't know who she belonged to."

Wait, what? "You-why should I believe you?" I said, trying to cover up my shock. Was she telling the truth? She could easily be lying...

She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe just take my word for it? Why would I want to steal your horse? How do I know that you're her real owner?"

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "Okay, I may not own her, but I'm certainly riding her today, and her owner is the person who owns the stables I ride at, Mike!"

"Wait... you're that rider that got invited to the Kentucky Five-star, aren't you?" The girl asked.

I looked her, surprised. "How do you know about that?"

Finnick spoke for the first time, and I jumped a little, for I had forgotten that he was there. "You got invited to the Kentucky Five-star, Kennedy? When?" He almost sounded a bit hurt that I hadn't told him. After all, we had been friends on the eventing circuit for a while now.

"Just after I realized Duchess was missing, a scout for the event came and told me if I did well enough in my other events, I would get an invitation. I didn't get a chance to tell you," I added defensively. Then I realized that I was getting sidetracked.

Just as I opened my mouth to say something else to the girl, a voice I realized belonged to Mr. Andrews, the scout from earlier, interupted me. "Ah, Kennedy! I see that you've met my daughter, Rayni."

Wait. His daughter?!?! Oh, no. Oh no no no no no. I've made a HUGE mistake.

"Uh.. yeah.." I mumbled, not sure what I was supposed to say to him. I found my horse here and accused your daughter of stealing her? I was just strolling along and happened to find  my horse tied to your trailer, and basically screamed at your daughter because I thought she had stolen my horse? Somehow, I didn't think that saying any of those things would leave a very good impression.

His daughter, whom he had called Rayni, so I assumed that that was her name, surprisingly was the one who came to my rescue.

"I found Duchess here wandering around, and I didn't know who she belonged to, so I caught her and brought her back here. I think that she undid her tying, because she's already pulled loose from my slipknots twice. Then Kennedy here came around and found her, and so I was just explaining to her what had happened when you came along," Rayni explained, and Mr. Andrews nodded, obviously not thinking that she was leaving anything out. "Well, you had better get Sammy tacked up and ready for the cross-country. I'd expect that you two would like to get your horses ready as well."

"Yes, sir." Finnick said. "Come on, Kennedy. Grab Duchess and I'll come with you back to your trailer."

"All right," I said absentmindedly, not really hearing what he was saying. Rayni untied Duchess and handed me her lead rope, and I realized that I probably wasn't being very nice. "Thanks, Rayni," I said in a low tone. "And sorry."

Rayni made a small, practically unnoticeable dismissive hand gesture. "It's no problem. And you're good."

I allowed myself a small half grin before stepping back, and turning Duchess. The mare follow me obediently, though she turned her head back and whinnied, not wanting to leave the horses. A dark bay Dutch Warmblood stallion who Rayni had begun to groom, so I assumed that it was Sammy, returned the whinny. I gave two quick tugs on the rope, and Duchess lowered her head and walked beside me easily.

When I reached the trailer, I tethered her in another slipknot before going to get her jumping saddle to retack her. I ran my hand over the glossy and supple leather, admiring again at how beautiful it was. I picked it up, grabbed the saddle pad that went with it, and quickly tacked up Duchess. As I slipped the bit into her mouth, I realized how much pressure I was facing. If I didn't do well in the cross-country and the dressage, I wouldn't be competing in the Five-star.

But at the just after that, I realized that Mr. Andrews wouldn't have told me if he didn't think I could handle it. I was ready for this... I hoped.

"We're in this together, Duchess." I said into her neck as I hugged her. Then I unclipped her halter from around her neck and mounted up, strapping on my helmet as I did so. I clucked her into a trot, deciding that the walk here had been enough, and I might as well warm her up a bit on the way there.

After only a little bit of waiting, I heard, "And next up on our cross-country course is the famous Kennedy Hawkings, on a new horse, Sky Full of Stars!" I really wished that the announcer had left the famous part out, but there wasn't really much I could do about it, anyway. I lined up Duchess in the starting box, rising in my stirrups and leaning forward, ready for her to spring forward into a gallop.

Three, two, one.. go! I thought as the gate sprung open. As Duchess surged forward onto the course, I breathed in the fresh air. This was what I lived for.

Hahaha! Look at me, posting another chapter so soon after the last one. (Sammy, Rayni's horse, is pictured up top.) Yep, this book is definitely going to be a lot longer than twenty chapters, especially considering the fact that this is chapter seventeen, I still have to write the cross-country, dressage, and the barrel racing for this show alone, aaand then I have another thing that'll take one or two chapters, and another one that'll take one or two as well, plus one that will take four or five, aaand then one that will take one or two, plus one that'll take probably two. That would make it a total of... thirteen more, which puts us right at thirty! Of course, there might be less, there might be more, who knows? Anyways, I have lots more writing to do... so, bye!

Glorybringer1163